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| Terror Networks |
| Militancy: The new face of al Qaeda |
| 2025-11-17 |
| by Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud [Dawn] In a recent video report, German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle News observed that “more than two decades after 9/11, Al Qaeda hasn’t vanished, it’s adapted.” This assessment is reinforced by recent reports from the world’s leading news outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and Al Jazeera, which indicate that one of Al Qaeda’s regional affiliates, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), is on the verge of capturing the Malian capital, Bamako. Operating across the Sahel region of West Africa, primarily in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, JNIM is imposing an economic siege on the capital by blocking routes used by fuel tankers, effectively bringing the country to a standstill. Despite the elimination or arrest of its top to mid-ranking leadership in the Afghanistan-Pakistan (Af-Pak) region over the last two decades — through extensive US-led counter-terrorism operations across Af-Pak, the Middle East and Africa — Al Qaeda has persisted by adopting a key strategy: evolving from a hierarchical, centralised organisational structure to a decentralised network of franchises. More than two decades after 9/11, Al Qaeda hasn’t vanished — it’s adapted. As one of its regional affiliates brings Mali’s capital to a standstill and another, Al Shabaab, regains ground in Somalia, extremist networks are once again touting the establishment of Islamic emirates… These franchises have been granted operational autonomy while adhering to Al Qaeda Central’s (AQC) general ideology. This strategic shift has enabled the group to maintain its influence and continue its operations, even in the face of significant leadership losses. Apart from JNIM, Al Shabaab — another formidable Al-Qaeda affiliate — currently controls significant portions of southern and central Somalia, as of November 2025. The group has recently regained ground, reversing many of the territorial losses incurred during the Somali government’s 2022-2023 counter-offensive. Recently, a number of encrypted extremist channels, known for sharing propaganda from the Az-Zallaqah Foundation — the official media and propaganda arm of JNIM — featured one common written commentary with a bold prediction. “It seems that before the end of this year, the jihadists will have an Islamic state or emirate, either in Mali, Somalia or both.” More at the link |
| Posted by:badanov |